Marie Gabrielle was born and raised in Paris, France.  Later she moved to Lyon, where she received her education and began her career as a textile designer and colorist. After getting married, Marie moved to the United States and raised a family.  In Santa Cruz, Marie fell in love with the beauty of the California coast and the abundant flora. It was here she started to paint in watercolor. She is now a full time painter and a “plein air” artist

Marie creates active illustrative landscapes and dynamic floral compositions, with a technique both confident and highly developed. Her palette is unabashed, artfully balanced, and rich in color. Subject matter includes coastal scenes and local gardens, as well as landscapes of Europe and the Tropics. Marie’s enthusiasm shows clearly in her work, with special attention to the shapes, details and interrelationships of the subjects she chooses to paint. Images are purposefully abstracted, and otherwise highly realistic. Outlines are aggressive and exaggerated, colors saturated yet still natural, preserving the essence of the scene.

Marie has had numerous exhibitions over the past few years.  They include: The fireside and Zantman Galleries in Carmel, Sunbird Gallery in Los Altos, The County Government Center in Santa Cruz, and shows in Munich, Germany.

In 1999 she was commissioned by Macys to create an original painting for the poster of their annual Spring Flower Show, “Colors of Provence”.  Recently, Marie was voted “Best Visual Artist of Santa Cruz County” by the Good Times Magazine.